Not So Perfect
by Dairy Queen
Summary: Sharpay Evans wasn’t angry about the fact that she didn’t get her part... she was furious. But two weeks before opening night, things start going wrong. Can she help salvage the show with the one person who knocked her off in the first place? TxS
1. Dress Rehearsals

**Not So Perfect**

**Chapter One: Dress Rehearsals**

_A/N: I've always LOVED HSM, and decided to make my own fanfiction. Starts out with the usual pairs, but eventual Tropay. Hope you like it! This chapter is also fairly short, mainly to set the stage and I thought it'd be a good place to end it. :)_

_Disclaimer: If I owned High School Musical, I would be a part of the Disney Channel. I am neither, so I own… pretty much nothing._

Sharpay Evans wasn't angry about the fact that she didn't get her part. She was furious.

She crunched into one of Zeke's cookies, the crumbs falling all over her Calculus homework. Brushing them off, she stared angrily at a problem that refused to be solved. Throwing her pencil down in defeat, Sharpay stared moodily at the ceiling, chomping into the cookie as it got smaller and smaller. Once the cookie had been devoured, she stared longer at the whitewashed walls, composing herself.

Sharpay refused to lose, and all she got to be was the crummy understudy for some pi math freak. But she couldn't possibly do anything to endanger the show. As much as she wanted to be the lead, Sharpay was far too in love with shows to know that sabotaging an audition was one thing; sabotaging a show was another.

So now here she was, stuck in her living room doing Calculus homework, helpless to the fact that the golden performance pair had been outdone for the first time in eleven years.

And Zeke, despite his superb baking skills, was a bit of an idiot.

He was sweet and he meant well, but Sharpay couldn't help wondering if the only thing that was in his brain was a sack full of recipes and a basketball. Sharpay had humored him for a while, but he was too clingy, always baking her cookies, constantly asking her out ever since the moment his cookies had caused an intense lapse in Sharpay's common sense.

The door to the house opened and closed. "Sharpay! You're missing rehearsal!" a voice panted from the door.

Supremely unconcerned, Sharpay pushed her chair back, shoved her math book out of her face and slowly made her way over to the door. "Did I?" she asked, though she knew perfectly well that she had. "It must have slipped my mind."

Flinging her jacked over her shoulder, she strode out with Ryan right beside her. Sharpay opened the car door and stepped into the car, the engine still running. Backing out of her driveway, Sharpay made her way to the school's parking lot, feeling discontent. She could always do something about the things that were wrong in her life, but this time, there really was no way out. She probably wouldn't perform with Ryan in the Spring Musicale, due to Troy and Gabriella's intense popularity among the student body and Ms. Darbus.

And then after the Spring Musicale, there was nothing. Ah, the joys of being a senior.

Parking, the siblings walked over to the theatre, stepping inside. It was the first day of dress rehearsal, and Gabriella was in _her_ gorgeous black dress. She walked over to the stage, where Ms. Darbus was looking over the costumes one last time.

"Ah! Sharpay, Ryan, I would expect you two to be on time, of all people! As I have told you so many times, the theatre waits for no one… not even you two," she told them briskly, adjusting the seams on _Sharpay's_ dress.

Sharpay pasted on an extra sweet smile, approaching the other girl. "Gabriella!" she exclaimed. "Did I ever tell you that dress looks _great_ on you?"

Gabriella smiled. "Thanks Sharpay! Why were you late?"

"Oh, I was busy doing my calculus homework," Sharpay waved off. "There was a lot of it tonight, wasn't there?"

"Yeah…" Gabriella trailed off, distracted as Troy walked up to her and started talking to her. Pretending to look perfectly content, Sharpay walked backstage, where she leaned against the wall, hiding any sign of her fuming anger. Darbus was _not_ supposed to give Gabriella _her_ dress. She'd taken great labors into sewing the dress together, and she wasn't about to let some science geek who had won her out wear it. It was adding insult onto injury.

Not to mention that Gabriella had managed to snag the only boy Sharpay relatively had feelings for. She'd done it without trying, and it infuriated the blonde girl. Throwing her hair behind her shoulder, she walked back onstage, where Gabriella was running her lines with Troy.

It was the scene where Minnie and Arnold were deciding to run away from their small Twinkletowne in order to get married.

In Sharpay's opinion, it was the most puke-worthy scene in the whole play, the new golden couple gazing into each other's eyes and swapping spit onstage. The only reason why they were actually good at it was because they actually had feelings for each other. If they didn't, their acting would have been terrible. But Darbus lapped it all up like a hungry alley cat and smiled and simpered at them, congratulating their acting and their singing.

Scoffing, Sharpay sat at the left stage exit, her legs and arms crossed. As a supporting role, she wasn't in this scene, and she took her anger out by glaring daggers into the black curtains.

A black dress walked into her view and then back out of it. Then a pair of slacks came into view and didn't budge. Looking up, Sharpay saw Troy Bolton's face.

"Sharpay."

"Troy," she acknowledged.

"You're not… going to do anything, are you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking up at the boy impatiently. "If you think I'm stupid enough to put the whole show in jeopardy just because I didn't get the lead, you obviously don't know me, Troy Bolton. Plus, I'm over that, remember? I'm perfectly fine having a supporting role."

"Are you—"

"I'm sure. Was that all? Asking me if I was going to kill your chances to perform?" Sharpay asked, some of the ice crawling into her voice.

"No, no!" Troy exclaimed, looking a little flushed. "I'm sorry, I just thought that…"

"That I'd ruin the show."

"Well not exactly, I was just having doubts about…"

"Whether I was telling the truth or not."

"A little, but…"

"I can't blame you because I tried to get you kicked out of the auditions, right?" Sharpay gave Troy a cold smile, who looked slightly dumbstruck. Standing up, she looked him straight in the eye. "Listen, it's two weeks before the show. I told you already. I would not, and will not do anything to ruin the it."

Sharpay walked off, looking for Ryan. Where had he gone? Their next scene was up, and she couldn't even find the worthless boy. Everyone else was onstage. Troy was talking to Darbus and the rest of the ensemble and supporting cast members were chatting onstage. When she heard Ryan's voice mingling with the others, Sharpay rolled her eyes, ready to walk back to the stage, when a shriek emitted from the stairs ten feet to her left. There was thumping, a crash, and then silence.

Rushing towards the staircase, Sharpay looked down.

At the bottom of the stairwell, the unconscious body of Gabriella Montez lay sprawled out on the floor.


	2. AfterRehearsal Time

**Not So Perfect**

**Chapter Two: After-Rehearsal Time**

_A/N: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, and here's the second installment of my lil story! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned HSM._

All Sharpay could do was gape and blink at the girl on the floor as everyone started swarming the stage and Troy and Darbus flew down the steps to the unconscious girl.

"What happened here?" Darbus was met by silence. Looking annoyed, she repeated herself. "Who knows what happened here?"

Silence.

"Sharpay was here first," a voice peeped.

Sharpay's mouth fell open in shock as everyone turned to look at her. Nodding and calling out affirmatively, the rest of the cast looked at Sharpay accusingly. Bristling in anger, Sharpay's gaze at every single one of the students could have killed. It probably would have if it weren't for that annoying voice peeping up again.

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" it reasoned. "I mean, if Gabriella's hurt, Sharpay gets the part."

Surprised exclamations of agreement rose through the crowd and Sharpay's eyes narrowed. Individual phrases made their way to her ears: 'Ice Princess strikes back…' and 'She should get kicked out of the show…' Even Darbus and Troy were looking at her as if she had done it.

"Sharpay Evans, is this true?" Darbus asked, looking at the girl.

"_What_?" Sharpay couldn't believe her ears. Was… Darbus _accusing_ her of shoving Gabriella down the stairs!

"You heard me, Ms. Evans. Did you push Gabriella down the stairs?"

"No!"

"Sharpay…"

"I _didn't_! I didn't do it." Furiously, Sharpay motioned toward the unconscious form of Gabriella. "Ask her when she wakes up. She'll tell you. I didn't push _anyone_ down the stairs."

Then, as if on cue, the still body trembled slightly. Gabriella's eyes slowly fluttered open and she tried to sit up. "Ouch," the girl breathed. Troy immediately knelt down beside her and tried to lift the girl into a sitting position, but when Gabriella gave an outcry of pain, he left her lying on the floor.

"Are you all right?" he asked, staring at her worriedly.

"I'm fine," she squeaked, but her face, twisted in pain, said otherwise.

"What happened?"

"Oh… it was… stupid of me. I wasn't looking and I tripped over my high heel. Did I fall down the stairs?"

By the end of the word 'tripped', everyone stopped listening to Troy and Gabriella's conversation. They had all turned to Sharpay, their mouths hanging open in the spitting image of Sharpay's own a few moments before. Sharpay merely crossed her arms and smiled, her expression clearly reading, 'I told you so.' That would teach them to try and accuse her of everything that went wrong during the production.

The next day, Sharpay arrived late to rehearsal… again. She walked in, prepared for another one of Darbus' lectures, and ready to eye-roll them off when the drama teacher approached her, a peculiar expression on her face.

"Ah, Miss Evans. The incident with Miss Montez yesterday, which I am sure you remember, has had it's… ah, complications. Miss Montez broke her leg and can no longer perform in the musicale. Now, as her understudy, you will have to take her part in the show. I trust you have all your lines memorized, and you may work out your blocking with Mister Bolton. I will work with the supporting actors and the ensemble while you two figure that out. If it helps, you may use the drama room's theatre, rather than the performance theatre."

And with that, Darbus was gone, leaving a dumbfounded Sharpay in her wake. She got the lead? With… Troy?

Her ears buzzing, Sharpay took a shaky step to a chair and sat in it, slowly taking in what Darbus had just told her. Gabriella Montez broke her leg; Sharpay Evans got her part. Gabriella could no longer perform; Sharpay wasn't the understudy anymore because… Sharpay had the lead.

"I'm a main character," she mouthed, her face slowly lighting up. "I got the lead."

Sharpay bounced up, feeling elated and happy for the first time in a long while. Finally, all her hard work had paid off and she got her lead role. She was so excited she almost collided straight into a person walking into the same aisle that she was walking out of. Her eyes widening in surprise, she considerably brightened again when she saw who it was.

"Troy," she smiled. "How's Gabriella?"

"She's fine," he shrugged. "She'll be in the hospital for another couple days. Hey listen Sharpay… I'm really sorry for…"

"Thinking that I pushed Gabriella down the stairs?" Sharpay finished, smiling. Sometimes, men were so predictable. "Don't worry about it. Did you come through to talk to me?"

"Yeah, Ms. Darbus said we should get working on our blocking."

"Alright then, let's go."

The two walked out of the theatre and straight to the drama room. Once there, they pored over the scripts, Sharpay studying Gabriella's parts and slowly going over all the stage directions with Troy. The first day, not as productive as it could have been, was hindered by the painfully polite attitudes Sharpay projected on Troy and Troy projected on Sharpay. Troy still harbored a grudge against Sharpay for trying to get him kicked out of the show, while Sharpay had a strong dislike for the boy ever since he chose Gabriella over her and knocked the Ice Queen of her pedestal. And the Ice Queen does _not_ get knocked off her pedestal, especially not by a bunch of basketball-twirling jerks, and equation-making science nerds.

But by the third blocking session, Darbus cornered the two, an expression of livid annoyance flaming on her face.

"I expected better of you two," she started, composing herself. "However, I cannot ignore your lack of progress any longer. You have only blocked the first three scenes together in full. That's one scene a day, when I made it clear I wanted three a day in order to finish it by today and you are neither close to finishing or half-way done; I have no choice but to give you mandatory after-rehearsal time."

"After-rehearsal time!" Sharpay gasped. "But I have—"

Darbus held her hand up. "No oppositions, no comments. That is final. And this after-rehearsal session has now started. Get to work."

Sharpay's mouth hung open. "That's not right!" she exclaimed, slapping her script in her hand. "_I_ do not get after-rehearsal time. Ever. Can you believe this?"

Troy looked as unhappy as she did, but he picked up his script, opening to Scene four. "No, I can't. But we have to get to work," he said pointedly, opening Sharpay's own script to the same page. "And I think it's about time we get on the same page."

"We are," Sharpay remarked sarcastically.

Troy sighed, frustrated. "See, that's exactly it," he said, slapping his script against his palm as well.

"That's exactly what?" Sharpay asked, hand on her hip.

"We can't get along for more than two seconds together," he told her.

"So?"

"So, we've got to find our common ground."

"So we can 'bond' together, right?"

"Right."

"Alright," she started, squinting at the stage lights. "I like to dance."

"So do I!" Troy grinned. "So, hip-hop or what?"

"Hip-hop? I do jazz, ballet and tap-dancing."

"Oh well, I guess those are pretty cool too," Troy nodded.

Sharpay couldn't help smiling. "You have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"No, I don't," Troy grinned.

"How _did_ you get around to singing if all you ever do is listen to rap and hip-hop and that other worthless pop-culture music? They're nowhere near real show music." It was something Sharpay had always wondered, but never asked. It wasn't right; a jock getting into the musicale threw everything out of control, especially since all those guys listened to was vulgar talking with a beat.

"You know Chad?" Troy started hesitantly, looking at Sharpay.

"Why wouldn't I? We've all been in school together since Kindergarten. Of course I know Chad."

"Well… his mom's a real show music listener. I listened to it every time I went to Chad's house and… it sort of grew on me."

"And you sang to it?" Sharpay asked, eyeing the boy curiously.

"Nah, only to my showerhead when nobody was home," Troy laughed.

Relaxing a little, she smiled. Maybe the kid wasn't so bad after all. He was friendly enough, and it almost reminded her of the days where she crushed madly on him. Almost. With their attitudes a little more fun loving and good-natured, they hit the end of act one in less than two hours.

"Wait, Sharpay, can you say that line again? Okay, when you're saying that, you have to walk over towards me, and that's Minnie and Arnold's first kiss. Then Minnie runs off to go see her dad, and then the curtain closes."

"Alright." Scribbling it into her notes she went over the blocking. "Like that, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great!" Sharpay grinned, closing her script. "So that's it then, right? We're free to go."

"Yeah," Troy agreed, looking at the dark night sky. "Took us long enough too."

"We got a lot more done today though," she reminded him, collecting the last of her things. "Wait… where are my keys?" She patted her pockets and searched through her purse. Scouring the stage with her eyes, she frowned. Where had her keys gone? She could swear she left them in her purse, and she knew everyone knew better than to touch her stuff…

_Ryan_. She could bet he had taken her car to get home; he had no other way there.

"Hey Troy? You don't think you could give me a ride home, do you? Ryan took my car."

"Yeah, sure," he said, already strolling out of the theatre, his hands in his pockets. Sharpay caught up with him, pushing through the double doors and into the crisp, night air. With the play so close at hand, rehearsals were running ridiculously late and the theatre was open at least three hours after the dress rehearsals ended, 'technical workers' (otherwise known as 'techies') rushing to finish painting and nailing sets together.

She slipped into the passenger seat of his car, strapping her seatbelt in and humming, 'What I've Been Looking For'. Once the engine started and they moved onto the main street, Troy joined in song. Singing the audition piece together, Sharpay smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she had sung with someone other than Ryan. It was different, and oddly exhilarating.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Sharpay saw two bright lights shining through the window and getting closer to them at a dangerously fast speed. Her eyes widening, she shrieked.


	3. The Same Page

**Not So Perfect**

**Chapter Three: The Same Page**

_A/N; Sorry this chapter took so long, but... enjoy:D_

_Disclaimer: I wish._

Troy slammed on the brakes, turning the wheel as far away from the other car as possible. Still screaming, Sharpay felt her body fling sideways, then jerk to the other side when a crashing impact drove the car the opposite way. When the vehicle finally screeched to a halt, she clutched her chest, breathing heavily. Troy, his hands still glued onto the steering wheel, looked at his windshield, eyes wide, his breathing just as labored as Sharpay's.

After a moment, Troy looked over at Sharpay, his hands still on the wheel, and asked, "Shar… pay… Are you all right?" His voice began as slightly choked, but as he continued it gained strength.

Her hand still on her chest, Sharpay nodded, "Yeah… I'm fine…"

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just… wow."

Troy's hands fell off the steering wheel, as he sat in disbelief, his hands running through his hair, then touching the wheel, then rubbing his legs. "I really just can't… believe—listen, I'm going to go outside, okay?"

"I think I will too," Sharpay replied shakily, unclipping her seat belt and teetering out of the car.

Already, clusters of people had formed around her; talking to each other, cell phones whipped out and calling the police. The man who had drove the other car was already out, a worried expression on his face. He approached them, apologizing, telling them he was on the phone with his wife and had missed the red light. Sharpay just nodded off his apology, her expression dazed. Never in her entire life had she ever felt that close to death.

She walked over the bumper of the car and sat delicately on it. After she heard the wailing sirens, Troy joined her.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sharpay?" he asked, frowning.

"Of course I'm okay," Sharpay defended, standing up straighter.

"Well… you just looked a bit peaky." When she didn't answer, Troy continued. "Listen, I'm really sorry about that… it was the last thing I was expecting."

"Hey, Troy. Don't worry about it. I'm really okay," Sharpay told him, looking at him straight in the eye and smiling for extra effect. "Are you sure _you're_ okay? I think you're the one that looks peaky."

"I've just never been in an accident before," Troy replied, raising his hand to his hand and ruffling his hair. "My mom's going to freak."

"I would imagine."

"Excuse me, sir?" A policeman had walked over to Troy a cap on his head and a notebook in his hand. "Were you driving this car?"

"Uh… Yeah, yeah I was."

"And can I see your driver's license?"

Troy handed it over, giving a wary smile to Sharpay, who gave him a reassuring smile in return. After a detailed interrogation, which involved a phone call home to Troy's parents, Troy looked troubled, defending himself fervently. He handed the phone to the officer and walked back over to Sharpay.

"What'd they say?"

"That they would never trust me with a car until I get to college," Troy admitted, looking a bit wired.

"Ouch."

"You can say that again."

"What are they going to do about your car?"

Troy shrugged. "They just said they'd wheel it home. The car only hit the back, so the engine's still good for the most part. I guess my parents are supposed to do something with it."

"Would they pay for the costs?"

"Probably not," Troy snorted humorlessly. "It took me long enough to get them to get a car for me in the first place."

"That car?" Sharpay asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah… why?"

"Well… it's a bit ugly," she replied bluntly, looking at Troy blankly, as if this was an obvious observation. "And a bit old. Don't tell me you begged your parents for that car."

"Well, not that particular car, I guess," Troy admitted. "But I was happy I got a car from them at all. Not everyone's parents are as generous as yours."

"If you can call that being generous," Sharpay snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No meaning you need to know," Sharpay answered, crossing her arms. She was always defensive when her parents came into the picture. They weren't bad people, they just never found any time for their children. It was always work, work, work. Not that they were poor or anything either. In fact, her parents were pretty wealthy, and got her almost anything she wanted as compensation for never really being there.

"Do you two need a lift home?" the policeman had wandered over and gave the pair an appraising look.

"Yeah, thanks," Troy replied. Sharpay followed Troy into the back of the car, and they sat.

"Are you and your friend going to the same place?" the policeman asked once he had taken the driver's seat and started the ignition.

"Oh, no," Sharpay smiled. "I'll show you." The man drove her home and she stepped out of the car, waving good-bye to Troy. He waved back, and she walked into her house, closing the front door behind her. She walked silently up to her room, where Ryan was sitting on her bed. He looked up when she entered, placing a photo album he had been looking at beside him.

"Yes, Ryan?" Sharpay asked, throwing her purse on her chair and hanging her jacket on the coat hanger.

"Where were you?" her twin asked, crossing his arms.

"You heard Darbus, didn't you? I had after-rehearsal time," she reminded him, disappearing into her walk-in closet.

"But not for that long," Ryan called from her bed. "Not until almost midnight. Even Darbus wouldn't be crazy enough to keep you guys there for that long. The only people who stay until midnight are the techies, and you know I know that. What happened?"

"If you really must know," Sharpay answered loudly, changing into her pajamas. "I got in a car accident."

"A what!" Ryan sounded surprised, a thump emitting from her room.

"A car accident, Ryan. Because _you_ took my car and _I_ had to hitch a ride home."

"But you're okay, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Not a scratch on me, thankfully. So don't take my car next time," she told him, emerging from her closet in her pajama pants and a tank top.

"So I'm supposed to take _my_ car?"

"Exactly," she grinned, walking to the bathroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready to sleep. Tomorrow's another long day at school _and_ at rehearsal."

"What about Gabriella?"

"What _about_ her?"

"Do you think she's coming back?"

"Not until closing night," Sharpay beamed, closing the bathroom door.

In two days, Sharpay had the entire second act down cold. Darbus, looking overwrought, approached the two when the came back into the theatre. She was instructing the last of the set building, and looked annoyed when Sharpay and Troy came in.

"Have you two finished yet?" she asked, her voice projecting from the stage.

"Yeah, we did," Sharpay told her.

"Good," Darbus said, turning back around to yell at an unfortunate young boy who had nailed his shirtsleeve to the back of a wall. Once she was done reprimanding the boy, her eyes trained on Sharpay and Troy. "I expect both of you to be here tomorrow. Our show is in a little more than a week, and we haven't worked with our two most important characters yet. Be on time. I cannot stress enough that the theatre waits for no one… Not even the two main characters." She gave the couple a particularly harsh glare at this before walking off.

"She seems a bit moody," Troy commented.

"Moody?" Sharpay snorted. "Full blown insanity's more like it. Shows are always like this a week before opening night. We call it hell week."

"Sounds fitting."

"Oh, it is."

"Now, are we going to head out of this dump or what?"

"After you," Sharpay smiled, letting Troy walk in front of her. Sharpay was now solely responsible for taking Troy home, since his parents had his license suspended for his accident, even if it wasn't his fault. Ryan found his own ride home, usually with Kelsi, who was pretty nice to him if not to her.

"It's weird," Troy commented quietly once they had gotten on the road.

"What is?"

"You."

Sharpay looked over at the boy sitting next to her, an eyebrow raised, suddenly defensive. "What's that supposed to mean!"

"No! I didn't mean it like that," Troy countered quickly, looking slightly aghast at his word choice. "I meant that… well… I never really imagined you as this… _nice_."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Troy," Sharpay replied dryly.

"Well, what I mean is, that I never really… well, liked you, really, after you tried to sabotage our auditions. Not to even mention that I never thought I'd end up doing the musical with you," he told her hesitantly. Sharpay cocked her head, mulling things over, and she did the last thing she thought she would ever do when told that. She grinned.

"What's so funny?" Troy asked.

"You."

In a perfect rendition of Sharpay's face and tone a few moments prior, Troy exclaimed, "What's that supposed to mean!"

"No, I just thought the same thing about you. That you were trying to sabotage me and Ryan's chances of ever being onstage again. You and Gabriella. I thought it was being planned out. You know, some joke gone bad, just to get at us. I was wrong, but I don't think I liked either of you at all after that."

"Then I guess we were on the same page all along," Troy laughed as she pulled up into his driveway.

"Yeah… I guess we were."


End file.
